ECW Stands Tall
by ClariceLecter
Summary: Triple-H joins the Alliance at UNFORGIVEN, but his motives have nothing to do with sticking it to Vince. Instead, he turns Shane, Austin and WCW against Stephanie and ECW, leading the Tribe of Extreme to vow revenge.
1. ECW Stands Tall, Part One

ECW Stands Tall, Part One  
by Clarice_Lecter  
  
DISCLAIMER: This story is a possible scenario for the eventual WCW-ECW Alliance split, set after UNFORGIVEN. The characters depicted herein are the exclusive property of World Wrestling Federation Entertainment. No infringement of any kind is intended.  
  
"God in Heaven, she never saw it coming," a worried Jim Ross told the viewers at home as the EMTs attended to Stephanie McMahon-Helmsley, moments after the WCW half of the Alliance had turned on her and her ECW cohorts.  
The ECW guys, from Raven to Tommy Dreamer to Stevie Richards and his team Kronik, surrounded the ring to prevent another WCW assault. Paul Heyman, JR's broadcast colleague and Stephanie's ECW partner, held his beaten princess in his arms, ignoring his own injuries and the fact that he was now hatless and shirtless.  
It was Paul who had made the save when she was being beaten up by not only her brother Shane and Stone Cold Steve Austin, but by Triple-H, her own husband. It had been "the Game" who had struck first, slapping her around for not relinquishing ECW and going back to being his submissive little wife, someone who let the men tell her what to do. Shane and Austin had egged it on before getting their two-cents in, and it had been more than Paul, or anyone, could take.  
As Stephanie was stretchered out, Paul never let go of her hand. When she was put into the ambulance, he climbed in with her.   
"God, man, I didn't know Paul cared so much about her," Raven said sadly as the ambulance left for the hospital.  
"That's more than her asshole husband ever did," Rob Van Dam replied. "C'mon, guys, we've got work to do."  
As the ECW faction went looking for WCW, the events of RAW's opener still played back in everyone's minds like the worst nightmare imaginable...  
  
RAW had started with still footage from the previous night's UNFORGIVEN ppv, where Triple-H had made his return during the main event match between Austin and Kurt Angle. It had seemed Trips was there to lend moral support to Angle - he had even come to ringside wearing an Angle t-shirt and cheering Kurt on. But when referee Earl Hebner was distracted by Stephanie and Shane, he had revealed his true colors.  
He had sneaked into the ring, seemingly to help Angle, only to clothesline him and give him a Pedigree. Then he pulled Austin onto Angle's prone form before Hebner knew what had happened. After the 3-count, Trips took off his Angle shirt to reveal WCW colors...  
"TRIPLE-H HAS JOINED THE ALLIANCE!" Paul had exulted. "TRIPLE-H HAS JOINED THE ALLIANCE! THE GAME MADE FOOLS OF YOU ALL!!!!!!!!"  
  
And now, tonight, he would explain himself. But it wasn't what anyone had expected, least of all his wife.  
"I guess you're all wondering why I'm standing here tonight," he began. "I guess you're all wondering why, after giving my heart and soul to the WWF for nearly seven years, I chose to turn my back on each and every one of you..."  
"I'd sure like to hear it," JR fumed.  
"JR, bask in this man's wisdom!" Paul retorted. "Let him have his say!"  
"Why don't you kiss my ass? You've been doing that with your little Princess for months!"  
"Hey, WATCH IT!"  
Triple-H ignored the exchange at the broadcast table and continued. "I guess you're all wondering why I am now...with...the...Alliance! I'm sure you're all thinking, 'Hey, he and Vince have never gotten along! Vince is still pissed because he married his precious little girl, although it was two years ago!' But that's not the reason. And I'm sure some of you are thinking, 'Hey, the WWF wasn't giving him what he deserved! The WWF wasn't giving him the proper respect, even when he was out for five months!' That's partially true...but that's not why I joined the Alliance. You see, it's all about power! It's all about prestige! It's all about controlling the landscape of sports-entertainment once and for all! And that's where you come in, Stephanie..."  
"See? He did it for the Princess!" Paul chirped.  
"'He did it for the Princess,'" JR mocked. "Will you stop already?"  
Triple-H then turned to Stephanie. "Steph...honey...who the Hell are you fooling?" he now said. "I've been watching how you've been trying to run your end of the Alliance - !"  
"And doing a damn fine job, too!" Paul grinned.  
"I've been seeing you run ECW, at least trying to run it," Triple-H continued, "and let's face it...running a promotion is NO JOB FOR A WOMAN!!!"  
Paul's good mood turned into shock. "Hey, WAITAMINUTE!"  
JR was also shocked. "Where the Hell is Triple-H going with THIS?!?"  
Before Stephanie had a chance to defend herself, Trips interrupted her. "Shut up! I'm not through here! Like I said, owning and running a promotion is NO JOB FOR A WOMAN!!! Do you think I've just been sitting at home, waiting for my leg to heel, only for you to suddenly decide you can MAKE A DECISION WITHOUT ME?!? I don't know what kind of crap Paul Heyman's been feeding you all these months, but you need to realize something, Steph. You need to realize that YOU CAN'T LIVE WITHOUT ME!!! YOU CAN'T DO ANYTHING WITHOUT ME!!! YOU'RE NOTHING WITHOUT ME!!!"  
At the broadcast table, Paul became furious. "That's bullshit, pal, and YOU KNOW IT!!!" he fumed.  
"Get in there and tell him, Tiger!" JR chirped.  
Triple-H then dropped a bombshell. "You see, Stephanie...Shane and Stone Cold and the WCW guys have been telling me how you've been screwing up ECW. They've been telling me how you've thought you could handle making your share of decisions for the Alliance, but that like any woman, your decisions flat out SUCK!!! So I've got a proposition for you...I want you to think about this long and hard..."  
Stephanie's expression matched not only Paul's mood, but the mood of the fans in attendance who suddenly launched into the "ECW" chant. Still, Triple-H ignored the chant and continued. "I want to take ECW off your hands, Steph. It's clear that you can't handle running your own promotion, that you need some guidance...how about letting me take over ECW? Shane and Steve and I think you need to step away and go back to being the woman you were meant to be when we got married...you need to go back to being MY WIFE!!!"  
"WHAT?!?" Paul raged. "Asshole, she's BEEN a good wife to you for two years! What more do you want?!?"  
"As I was saying, Stephanie, you need to go back to being MY WIFE!!! You need to go back to STANDING BEHIND YOUR HUSBAND!!! You need to be IN THE KITCHEN, BAREFOOT AND PREGNANT!!! You need to go back to DOING WHAT I TELL YOU TO DO!!! Do the right thing, Stephanie...do what any good, self-respecting wife would do for her husband...give me ECW and go back to being MY WIFE!!!"  
"God, this is hideous!" JR now fumed. "Stephanie's no angel, but her husband's behaving like a jackass!"  
"Don't do it, Steph!" Paul pleaded.  
Shane then took the mic before Stephanie had a chance to give a rebuttal. "Stephanie, we're only acting in your interests," Shane now said. "We've all known for some time that you're a little girl in a big boys' game, that you have NO BUSINESS doing a MAN'S JOB!!! You really need to think about what Hunter's saying, because you know he's right!"  
"WHAT?!?" Paul raged once again. "Stephanie's been doing just fine! She doesn't need a man to tell her what to do, she's proven that!"  
Then Austin took the mic. "Stephanie, do the right thing. Do as your husband says...let him run ECW, because he can do a Helluva lot better job than you've done!"  
"For God's sake, Steph, DON'T LISTEN TO THEM!!!" Paul pleaded. "Please DON'T DO IT!!!"  
"I hate to say it, but Paul's right, Stephanie!" JR agreed. "DON'T DO IT!"  
  
The fans now started chanting "DON'T DO IT! DON'T DO IT! DON'T DO IT! DON'T DO IT!" while Shane, Trips and Austin tried to shut them up. Finally, it was Stephanie's turn to speak.  
"Let me see if I heard you correctly," Stephanie began. "I've kept my end of the bargain since the Alliance was formed in July. I've helped Paul Heyman resurrect ECW and bring it back onto the national stage, bringing in RVD and Tommy Dreamer off the independent circuit and making champions out of my guys, and all of a sudden the three of you HAVE NO FAITH IN ME?!? The three of you DON'T BELIEVE IN ME?!?"  
"Steph, we didn't say that - !" Trips began, only to be interrupted.  
"Shut up, Hunter! It's my turn to talk now!" she scolded before continuing. "Y'know, Austin, I'm not surprised you feel this way, considering that you're even more of a galloping chauvinist pig than Gary Condit and ALWAYS HAVE BEEN!!!"  
"Hey, WATCH IT!" Austin scolded, ignoring the crowd's monster pop at Stephanie's remarks.  
"Testify, sister!" Paul giggled.  
"But Shane...Hunter...I expected better of you. Of the BOTH of you. My God, Shane, you're my brother! A brother should always stand by his sister, no matter what! Granted, you've been an asshole to me for years, but I've always stood by you! I've always believed in you! And you have the AUDACITY not to show me the same consideration? You make me SICK!"  
"Steph - !" Shane pleaded, only to be shushed.  
"You shut up right NOW!" she fumed. "And as for you, husband of mine...even though it took drugging my Sex On the Beach cocktail to convince me to marry you, I've still stood by you for the last two years! I've respected your space, I've believed in your dreams, I've done EVERYTHING for you!!! Yet in that time, you've NEVER shown me any respect! You've NEVER shown me any support! And worst of all, you've NEVER TRUSTED ME!!! Even when Kurt Angle tried to steal me away from you, I've ALWAYS STOOD BY YOU!!! Even when you LIED TO ME about being broken up with Joanie Laurer, I've ALWAYS STOOD BY YOU!!! Even when you LIED TO ME about BEING FAITHFUL, I've ALWAYS STOOD BY YOU!!!"  
"Uh-oh, she's hittin' him where it hurts!" JR now said.  
"By God, HE DESERVES IT!!!" Paul retorted.  
"But you know what? That's okay, because now I see you as you really are, Hunter," Stephanie continued. "I see you, Shane, and you, Austin, as you really are. And it makes me wanna PUKE!!! Anyway, Hunter, you mentioned something earlier about not knowing what kind of crap Paul Heyman has been feeding me since the Alliance was formed. Allow me to elaborate..."  
"Uh-ohhhhhhh," JR said.  
"In the last five months, Paul Heyman has shown me more support, more respect, and a Helluva lot more caring than you've shown me in TWO YEARS OF MARRIAGE!" she revealed. "He's shown me he's man enough to NOT try to tell me what to do, that he's man enough to RESPECT MY DECISIONS!!! Even when I've made errors in judgment, Paul Heyman has ALWAYS STOOD BY ME!!! Even when I've been at my lowest point, Paul Heyman has ALWAYS SUPPORTED ME!!! And when I've worried about what'll happen to ECW next, about what'll happen to me and my boys next, Paul Heyman has ALWAYS CARED ABOUT ME!!!"  
Now JR was curious. "Paul, is there something you've not told me?" he asked.  
"There's nothing to tell, JR!" Paul protested. "Stephanie and I are friends, THAT'S ALL!"  
Stephanie continued. "Helping Paul Heyman rebuild and restore ECW to its' glory has made me realize something, all right...it's made me realize that I'm MORE THAN CAPABLE OF STANDING ON MY OWN TWO FEET!!! It's made me realize that I'm MORE THAN CAPABLE OF MAKING MY OWN DECISIONS!!! And it's made me realize that as much as I love you, Hunter...as much as I love you, Shane...and as much as I love the Alliance...I'll be DAMNED if I'm gonna let anyone TELL ME WHAT TO DO EVER AGAIN!!! So as far as your wanting me to give up ECW and go back to being your wife goes, Hunter, let me make this clear...HELL NO!!!!!!!!!!!"  
As the audience launched into the biggest pop of the night, the look on Hunter's face turned into a demonic rage. He started drawing his hand back, as if to hit her, but Stephanie would not be intimidated. "And another thing, Hunter...if I were to relinquish ECW under any circumstances, I'd give it RIGHT BACK TO PAUL HEYMAN!!! ECW was HIS baby for six years! It was HIS concept, HIS promotion, and I'll GLADLY give it back to him before LETTING YOU STEAL IT!!!"  
  
That was when Stephanie's declaration of independence was interrupted by a brutal slap across her face. Then another...and another...  
"God in Heaven, GOD IN HEAVEN!!!" JR screamed into his headset. "The Game's beating his wife like a government mule!!!"  
"God, NO!!!" Paul screamed in turn. But that didn't stop Trips from continuing his assault on Stephanie, with the WCW wrestlers turning on the ECW faction and Shane and Austin egging Trips on.  
Eventually, Shane and Austin held Stephanie still, Austin even pulling her hair as Triple-H continued slapping, kicking, and punching Stephanie senseless. That was more than Paul could take.  
"Heyman, where the Hell are you going?!?" JR asked when Paul stood up and removed his headset. Then Paul took off his jacket before going to Lillian Garcia's station at ringside and picking up a folding chair.   
Trips then motioned for Stephanie to be pinned down by Shane and Austin while he took off his belt, then proceeded to lash Stephanie across the back with it. "You're gonna learn to DO AS I SAY, YOU FUCKIN' BITCH!!!" he screamed as he whipped her, raising ugly red welts on her back and drawing blood in several of them.  
He didn't even see Paul raise the chair before striking him with it. Austin continued kicking Stephanie while Shane rose to confront Paul, only to get brained with another chairshot. Then it was Austin's turn to get clocked.  
"What the Hell - ?!" JR piped up. "This is a WHOLE NEW SIDE OF HEYMAN!!!"  
The fans began chanting "PAUL E! PAUL E! PAUL E! PAUL E!" as Paul fought off Stephanie's attackers, encouraging the ECW guys to fight back as well. Eventually, Kurt Angle came out to lay another beatdown on Austin while The Rock proceeded to Rock Bottom Shane. Then it was down to Paul and Triple-H, who were brawling all over the ring and all over the arena floor.  
During the fracas, Paul lost his ECW baseball cap, but didn't care as he managed to remove his shirt and use it to choke out Triple-H before pummeling him more and more. Eventually, Trips was incapacitated enough for Paul to bring him to the announce table.  
"Not here, Heyman, NOT HERE!!!" JR pleaded, but Paul ignored him. When Trips tried to fight back, Paul took a nearby fire extinguisher and sprayed him with it, then beaned him upside the head before laying him on the table.  
What happened next was even more unexpected. Paul returned to the ring apron, then scaled the turnbuckle directly opposite the announce table, going right to the top rope. "What's Heyman doing, WHAT'S HEYMAN DOING?!?" JR screamed.  
Paul answered with a Jeff Hardy moonsault that was perfectly executed, in spite of his not being the most athletic of men. The effort sent both men crashing through the announce table, injuring Trips' back and reinjuring his rehabilitated left leg. Paul was also injured, but managed to get to his feet and crawl back into the ring, where he tenderly cradled the weeping, abused Stephanie like a newborn until the EMTs arrived...  
  
"Folks, we've just received word on the condition of Stephanie McMahon-Helmsley," JR said later in the broadcast. "The Billion-Dollar Princess is going to be hospitalized for some time after the vicious beating she suffered at the hands of Stone Cold Steve Austin, her brother Shane McMahon, and her own husband, Triple-H. Besides the obvious cuts, bruises, lashes from that belt whipping, and slap marks, she also suffered five fractured ribs. Her right wrist was also fractured, and she has suffered some internal bleeding, so she's gonna be on the shelf for at least three months."  
By now Michael Cole had joined JR at the broadcast table. "And all because she refused to relinquish ECW to Triple-H," Michael replied. "But what about the stand Paul Heyman took, putting himself at risk to save her from being more seriously injured than she was? Who KNEW he had that kind of courage?"  
"Without a doubt, Michael, nobody has ever seen that side of Paul Heyman," JR then said. "He was also injured during that knock-down-drag-out with The Game...he fractured a couple of ribs with that moonsault off the top rope and did some damage to his back, but he did what he had to do. And although I've never seen eye-to-eye with him on anything, Paul showed the world that he's more man than anyone expected."  
"Right now, WCW had better be looking over their shoulders," Michael warned. "ECW has been shaken up, but they're not broken. And I've been around long enough to know that ECW, and the men and women who comprise ECW, can more than back up their reputation. Back them into a corner and they come out swinging."  
  
END OF PART ONE 


	2. ECW Stands Tall, Part Two

ECW Stands Tall, Part Two  
by Clarice_Lecter  
  
Thursday night on SMACKDOWN, the show opened with the entire ECW faction entering the arena through the crowd, as they had when they first reformed on July 9, 2001. Only this time, there were more of them.  
Joel Gertner, Joey Styles, John Kronus, Little Guido, Don Callis, Balls Mahoney, Francine Fournier, Axl Rotten, Jerry Lynn, The Sandman, Lori Fullington, Jasmin St. Clair, The Blue Boy, Nova, Masato Tanaka, Bill Alfonso, Simon Diamond, Dawn Marie, Dusty Rhodes, David Flair, Tommy Rich, Lou E. Dangerously, Mikey Whipwreck, the Sinister Minister, and Sabu joined Tazz, Stevie Richards, Kronik, Raven, Terri Runnels, RVD, the Dudleys, Rhyno, Tommy Dreamer, Justin Credible, Lance Storm, and Mike Awesome in the biggest show of solidarity since before ECW became a part of the WWF. "My God, will you look at this?" Jim Ross, cohosting SMACKDOWN with Michael Cole, asked as the ECW contingent made its' way to the ring. "Heyman's Tribe has EXPANDED!!! There's about 40 of 'em!"   
"Paul Heyman and Stephanie McMahon-Helmsley are not here tonight, and we've been informed that Stevie Richards, Joel Gertner, and Raven will be speaking on their behalf," Michael chimed in. "And listen to this crowd, JR! The ECW chant is louder than it's ever been, and it's only getting louder!"  
"Michael, I'm WWF all the way, but I'm anxious to hear what the Tribe's gotta say about Monday night," JR replied. "WCW is here! Triple-H, the estranged husband of Stephanie McMahon-Helmsley, is here! Shane McMahon and Stone Cold Steve Austin are here! God only knows what kind of payback ECW's got in store for those bastards!"  
  
As soon as the ECW faction surrounded the ring, Don Callis, Raven, Terri, Simon Diamond, Dawn Marie, Joel Gertner, Stevie Richards, Kronik, RVD, Lance Storm, Justin Credible, Dusty Rhodes and Rhyno entered the ring. And it was Joel, sporting the ever-present purple neckbrace, jeans shorts, boots, and sportjacket over bare skin who spoke first.  
"Greetings, greetings, all you SMACKDOWN viewers in TV Land, all you smart marks in the cheap seats, and all you motherfucking FREAKS AROUND THE WORLD!!!" Gertner began to a huge pop. "For those of you who haven't seen me in awhile, allow me to introduce myself..."  
"Here we go," JR smirked.  
"It is I, ladies and germs...the Quintessential Studmuffin himself," Joel continued. "Joel...'The Sweet Spot in Your Orchid of Delight,' 'Hotter than a Litterbox Surrounded by Pussy,' 'I'm Like M&Ms, Only I Melt In Your Mouth, Too'...Gertner."  
"Oh, man, I've heard about this guy!" Michael cracked up as the crowd popped all the more.  
"Yeah, there's no use censoring him," JR chuckled.  
Joel continued. "But enough about me. Let's talk about this sea of humanity that's surrounding this WWF ring tonight! Let's talk about the individuals who are standing in said WWF ring...let's talk about E!!!C!!!W!!!"  
As the crowd continued popping, Joel relinquished the mic to Stevie, who had a lot to say. "First of all, on behalf of the Tribe, I'd like to send a shout-out to PAUL AND STEPHANIE!" he began. "In case you don't know the score, a bunch of ASSHOLES from WCW, led by a bald-headed Texas geek, Stephanie's chickenshit brother, and Stephanie's sick-fuck husband, decided that they could make Stephanie hand ECW over to them because SHE HAPPENS TO BE A WOMAN!!! They got this idea into their heads that Stephanie not only had NO BUSINESS RUNNING ECW, but that she had NO BUSINESS LIVING HER OWN LIFE!!! They wanted her to fold, they wanted her to submit, but the Billion-Dollar Princess proved to the WORLD just how HARDCORE SHE REALLY IS!!!"  
At that moment, the OvalTron showed the footage from Monday, where Stephanie stared down her brother, her husband, and all of WCW by refusing to relinquish ECW to them. It played back Triple-H ordering her to "go back to being MY WIFE!" and Shane and Austin siding with him in that cause. And Stephanie's rebuttal was played back in its' entirety, stopping just before she was beaten by Trips, Shane and Austin.  
"Does this look like a woman who lets ANYONE tell her what to do?!" Stevie then asked. "Does this look like a woman who shouldn't be allowed to THINK FOR HERSELF?!? Does this look like a woman who allows her BROTHER, let alone her HUSBAND, to BULLY HER INTO OBEYING THEM?!?!? I don't think so! But WCW didn't like it, Hell no! They decided if she wouldn't give up ECW willingly, they were gonna BEAT IT OUT OF HER!!!"  
The OvalTron resumed showing the footage, from Triple-H slapping Stephanie around to Shane and Austin helping him beat her up, right down to the brutal belt whipping she received after she'd already suffered a broken wrist, fractured ribs and internal injuries. "Stephanie is gonna be out for THREE MONTHS because of these sons of bitches! THREE MONTHS!!!" Stevie raged. "And for what? Declaring her independence?! What the Hell kind of men would do this to a woman as beautiful and gutsy as this?!"  
"That's what I wanna know!" Michael now asked.  
"I hate to say it, but for once Richards is making perfect sense!" JR retorted.   
Finally, it was Raven's turn to speak. "It's often been said that the best way to kill a snake is by cutting off its' head," he began. "Triple-H...Shane McMahon...Steve Austin...WCW...you thought that by beating Stephanie senseless, you could take ECW as if you were Torquemada leading the Inquisition all over again. All you did was unite ECW as never before...and most importantly, Triple-H, you pissed Paul Heyman off. How's that back feeling tonight, Trips? Not too good after Paul got done with you Monday, huh?"  
The OvalTron then showed the footage of Paul leaving the announce table to make the save for Stephanie, first clocking Triple-H with a nasty chairshot, then Shane, then Austin. "Kurt Angle and The Rock happened to be in the neighborhood to help take care of Shane-O and Stone Cold, and we were doing just fine taking care of your lackeys," Raven continued. "But you never saw Paul E coming..."  
"No, he didn't!" JR agreed.  
The OvalTron continued through to the end, where Paul climbed to the top turnbuckle and hit Triple-H with his moonsault through the announce table. The moonsault was replayed three more times, from different angles, as the crowd popped louder and louder and launched into the "PAUL E!" chant once again.  
"As I was saying, Trips, how's that back feeling tonight?" Raven now asked. "But hey, don't take my word for it..."  
  
At that moment, the OvalTron cut to a live feed from Stephanie's hospital room. Stephanie was sitting up in bed, her ribs taped, her wrist in a lightweight cast, her face and body still swollen, cut and bruised from the 3-on-1 beatdown she'd suffered Monday. Her badly blackened left eye was still swollen shit, but her spirits were good.  
"My God, that's Stephanie!" Michael exclaimed. "How's she able to even sit up?"  
"She's a McMahon," JR reminded him, "she's running on sheer will."  
On the screen, Paul Heyman was standing beside her bed, securing a small mic to her hospital gown with great care. "There's Paul, and he's not in such good shape himself," JR said, noting that Paul was still having back trouble from executing that moonsault and that he was still suffering from three cracked ribs. "But ever since this happened, he has refused to leave her side."  
"I don't care what anyone says, JR, that's love," Michael added. "It's like Stephanie said Monday, Paul Heyman has shown her more devotion in a few short months than Triple-H has shown her in two years of marriage! And Monday night's made him even more devoted to her than ever!"  
Everyone's attention then focused on Paul and Stephanie. "You sure you want to do this?" Paul asked, his voice tinged with concern.   
Stephanie reached out with her good hand and tenderly stroked his cherubic face. "Paul, you're so sweet," she whispered. "Yes, I'm sure."  
Paul then softly kissed her fingertips, then her eyebrow, before holding her hand and sitting beside her on the edge of her bed. "I'll be damned, Heyman's in love," JR chirped.  
Stephanie then turned to the camera. "Obviously, Hunter, I haven't gone home to Mom and Dad. Obviously, I've not returned to New York City. I won't be in any condition to do much of anything for awhile, thanks to you," she began. "I hope you, Shane, Austin, and all of your WCW buddies are enjoying yourselves at SMACKDOWN. I hope you're all warm and cozy in your fancy-ass dressing rooms, having a few shits and giggles and thinking I'm going to curl up and die, just because you got your rocks off from beating me up. Unfortunately, Hunter, I haven't forgotten that Monday wasn't the FIRST time you've done this."  
"Wh-WHAT?!?" Michael asked in an apopleptic tone. "The Game's beaten her up before?!"  
"I don't doubt it!" JR replied, his tone equally enraged.  
"Do you remember what I said the last time you raised your hand to harm me? Do you, you sonofabitch?" she asked. "I told you that if you EVER struck me again, under ANY circumstance, that our marriage was over. No more second chances, no more reconciliations. Guess what, Hunter? As of Monday, your 'Get Out Of Jail Free' card got revoked. PERMANENTLY!!!"  
The face pops from the crowd grew louder and louder as Stephanie continued. "Hunter, for two years I worshipped the ground at your feet. For two years I stood by you. And for two years, you treated me like SHIT!!! To you I was nothing more than a slave for you to boss around whenever you felt like it, a punching bag for you to practice on whenever you felt like it, and I took it because I thought I loved you. I thought you would change...I was a damn fool. But in times of adversity comes triumph...later tonight, if he hasn't arrived on your doorstep already, Jerry McDivette's gonna pay you a little visit. And he's going to deliver something you've had coming to you for a long time...does the term 'divorce papers' ring any bells?"  
Finally, it was Paul's turn to speak. "Triple-H, Monday night was only a TASTE of what I've got planned for you," he said in a low, menacing tone. "That moonsault is NOTHING compared to the beating I'm going to give you for what you did to this beautiful lady, for what you've been doing to this beautiful lady since the day you married her! You don't think I'm serious...? Okay, I'll tell you what...four weeks from this Sunday, SURVIVOR SERIES, you and me in a fucking CAGE!!!"  
"OHMYGOD!!!" Michael exclaimed. "Heyman's actually CHALLENGING 'The Game' to a match at SURVIVOR SERIES?!?"  
"I give Paul Heyman credit, the man IS a fighter, but I don't like his chances," JR admitted. "Triple-H is a seasoned competitor! A multi-time WWF Champion!"  
"Think about it, Trips...you've got 'til next Monday's RAW to make up your mind. And when you do, I'll be there," Paul hissed. "Just remember one thing...when you fuck with one member of the Tribe, you fuck with the ENTIRE TRIBE!!! I just pray to God you're ready to accept the consequences..."  
  
END OF PART TWO 


	3. ECW Stands Tall, Part Three

ECW Stands Tall, Part Three  
by Clarice_Lecter  
  
After the commercial break, JR had some disturbing news.  
"Ladies and gentlemen, we've just received word that Triple-H, Shane McMahon, Diamond Dallas Page, Kanyon, and Billy Kidman are headed to Philadelphia Baptist Hospital, where Stephanie McMahon-Helmsley has been a patient since Monday night," he revealed. "During the break, the Cerebral Assassin was so enraged by the comments of his soon-to-be ex-wife and her running buddy, Paul Heyman, that he decided to take matters into his own hands. And when Jerry McDivette, Stephanie's attorney, entered the WCW dressing room to serve the divorce papers, watch what happened."  
They then rolled the tape from during the break, where Shane, Austin and the WCW guys stood back while Triple-H went into a rampage. "That fucking BITCH!" Trips raged as he started throwing things all over the WCW dressing room. "Where does she get off askin' ME FOR A GODDAMN DIVORCE?!? And where does HEYMAN get off thinkin' he can TAKE ME IN A FUCKING CAGE?!?!?"  
"Hunter, calm down!" Austin pleaded, only to end up ducking one of the vegetable-laden buffet trays when Trips threw it across the room.  
"I'll be damned if Stephanie's gonna get away with this! I WON'T HAVE IT!!!"  
"You let her off too easy, that's all!" Shane now said. "If it hadn't been for fuckin' Heyman, we could've taken her out FOR GOOD!!!"  
"Shane's right, man!" DDP chimed in. "You've got to show that slut you mean business, even if she IS a McMahon! You're her husband, right?"  
"That's right, and I'm gonna keep on BEING HER HUSBAND!!!" Trips retorted.   
"Then do what any good husband would do and BRING HER TO HEEL!" Austin now said. "BEAT HER ASS AGAIN! KEEP BEATIN' HER ASS UNTIL SHE REMEMBERS WHO'S BOSS!!! Trust me, by the time you get done, she'll BEG you to take ECW offa her hands - !"  
At that moment, the strategy session was interrupted. Jerry McDivette entered the locker room, and the glare in his eyes caused the WCW boys to part like the Red Sea. "Mr. Helmsley?" Jerry asked.  
"Yeah?" Trips asked.  
Jerry replied by serving the divorce papers Stephanie had mentioned earlier. "Ohhhhhhhh, boy," JR said as Trips read the documents, growing angrier by the second.  
"Guys, I want to be alone with Mr. McDivette," Hunter now said.   
"Sure thing, man," Shane replied. "C'mon, fellas, let's give 'em some privacy."  
  
As soon as they were alone, Triple-H tore up the documents and threw them in the attorney's face. "Get this through your head, McDivette. There isn't gonna be ANY divorce!" he said in the deadliest tone he could muster. "In fact, that bitch sending you here just cost you..."  
Then Trips viciously punched Jerry in the face, knocking him to the floor before crouching over him and beating him as he had beaten Stephanie on Monday night. "Good Godalmighty, now Triple-H is beating up Stephanie's lawyer!" JR exclaimed.   
"He doesn't DESERVE THIS!!!" Michael screamed. "He was just following instructions! All he was doing was serving divorce papers on Triple-H!"  
"The Game's an even sicker bastard than we though! He ain't gonna quit until he's taken out all of his wife's friends, and he damn sure ain't gonna quit until he's pounded her into submission!!! What's it gonna take to STOP HIM?!?!?"  
Eventually, Shane, Austin and the WCW guys entered the locker room to continue the beatdown on McDivette before throwing him out bodily. "My God, Jerry McDivette's hurt!" JR now said. "What the Hell else is gonna happen?"  
Finally, Trips showed his next card. "That bitch is at Baptist Hospital!" he announced. "Who wants to help me finish the job?!?"  
"JR, you spoke too soon!" Michael piped up as the WCW guys all clamored to go to the hospital with Trips. In the end, Shane, DDP, Kanyon and Kidman were selected to accompany Trips to the hospital in an attempt to assault Stephanie again.  
  
The show then cut back to the hospital, where Paul was standing outside Stephanie's door and had received a call on his cell phone. "Uh-oh, there's Paul," JR said worriedly.   
"Gertner, will you calm down?!" Paul gently scolded during the conversation. "Slow down and tell me EXACTLY what happened!"  
"Sounds like Joel Gertner's bringing him up to speed," Michael replied.  
As the cell phone talk went on, Paul grew angrier by the minute. "Jerry SHOULDN'T have gone into the WCW locker room by himself! He shoulda had someone with him when he went to serve the papers, otherwise he wouldn't have gotten hurt! Joel - Joel, calm your ass down! Put Stevie on the phone...yo, Stevie! You know what's goin' down, don'tcha? Good. Get Raven, get Balls, get your boys and get down here before Triple-H and his buddies get here!"  
"Uh-OHHHHHHH!!!!! Heyman's got a plan!" JR exclaimed.  
"Take out Shane, Page, Kanyon and Kidman, but leave Trips for me...don't worry, I can take him! Okay, bye!"  
Paul then clicked off his phone, then reentered Stephanie's hospital room. "Honey, what's going on?" Stephanie asked, her voice tinged with concern.  
"We're fixing to get some company," Paul replied. "Your husband decided he didn't like your little gift..."  
Now Steph was scared. "Paul - ?" she asked, prompting him to sit on the edge of the bed and hug her close.  
"Don't worry, Stevie's on his way with some of the boys...and if that fuckin' Hunter goes through the first roadblock, I'll be ready for him. I promise you, he'll never hurt you again..."  
Stephanie then broke down, clutching at Paul and hoping for the best. "Stephanie's scared to death, and I don't blame her," Michael now said.   
  
As expected, Triple-H showed up at the hospital 30 minutes later with DDP, Kanyon, Shane and Kidman in tow. But they didn't count on Paul and Stephanie's ECW buddies taking the shortcut and getting there first.  
They entered the hospital, then took the elevator to the fifth floor, where Stephanie was being kept. As the elevator doors opened, they came face to face with Kronik, Stevie, Raven, and Balls Mahoney.  
"Uh-ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh," JR told the viewers at home, "this ain't gonna be pretty."  
It was Brian Adams who spoke first. "Going somewhere, boys?" he asked.  
"Hey, this is between ME AND MY WIFE! This doesn't concern you!" Triple-H fumed.  
"Is that so?" Stevie retorted. "Is that why you brought backup?"  
"You're not going anywhere near her," Raven now said. "You're gonna have to get through us first..."  
Triple-H smirked, then looked at his WCW buddies. "Get real," he chirped before suckerpunching Adams. At that moment, the fight was on.  
Shane launched in against Stevie while Kidman focused on Raven. DDP and Kanyon started brawling with Bryan Clarke and Balls, while Trips fought off Adams. Eventually, he was able to break free and make a dash for Stephanie's room...  
"OhmyGod, SOMEBODY STOP HIM!!! HE'S HEADED STRAIGHT FOR HIS WIFE!!!" JR screamed into the headset as Triple-H ran through the corridors, looking for Stephanie's room and steeling himself to once again beat her up.  
When he turned the corner, however, he found himself on the receiving end of a Rhyno-like spear from Paul Heyman. "GORE! GORE! GORE!" JR shouted as Paul speared him into the corridor wall, not caring about reinjuring himself as he launched into a full-on attack against The Game.   
"Triple-H hasn't even accepted Heyman's challenge, but THEY'RE NOT GONNA WAIT UNTIL SURVIVOR SERIES!!!" Michael shouted in turn. "Heyman said he was gonna keep Triple-H from hurting Stephanie ever again, and by God he's a man of his word!"  
Eventually, the rest of the ECW faction came out of the rooms surrounding Stephanie, from Gertner to Sabu to RVD. "OhmyGod, THEY'RE ALL HERE!!!" JR sputtered. "The Tribe of Extreme is ALL HERE!!!"  
  
It wasn't long before Trips, Shane, DDP, Kidman and Kanyon were all beaten back, until the entire ECW faction had succeeded in giving them the bum's rush out of Baptist Hospital. As SMACKDOWN went off the air, with Trips and Paul staring each other down, JR couldn't contain his excitement...  
"HOW YA LIKE IT NOW, MR. MACHO?!? NOW YOU'LL HAVE TO ACCEPT HEYMAN'S CHALLENGE!!!!!"  
  
End of Part Three   



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